Scorched, or The Fire Prince
by ErinMilne
Summary: An unofficial Frozen sequel. Elsa's got problems enough, trying to create a better public image for herself. But when a familiar foe appears with powers like her own, Elsa must turn to the ones she loves for support, guidance - and a way out. But can she prevent this raging prince from taking over her kingdom? Please read and especially, REVIEW! (Kudos to leena1445 for the cover.)
1. Chapter 1: The Discovery

**Well, the reviews are in - and so are the results. There will be NO love interest for Elsa! I will have the oldest brother make an appearance, but that will be about it. A special thank-you to Xavier Fincher - your review influenced the decision the most. And now, a disclaimer:**

**I do not own ****_Frozen_**** or any of the charterers Disney created for that film. On that note, I do own the characters I create myself. **

**So, please enjoy my first fanfiction, and review to let me know what you think!**

_Southern Isles, 11:00 PM, about three months after the events of _Frozen

"Hey Hans, wake up already! Dinnertime."

Prince Hans grudgingly opened his eyes. He was still in the cold, barren prison cell that had been his home for the past two-and-a-half months - and would be for the rest of his life. Unlocking the door, made of thick iron bars, that shut him off from the world stood his eldest brother, Lief, who was holding a tray holding a rather gray cut of meat and some overcooked vegetables. Hans grudgingly took the meal and sat down on a stone ledge, the only piece of "furniture" in the cell.

As Lief relocked the door, he said to the prisoner, "You know, you should consider yourself lucky after what happened in Arendelle. Our other eleven brothers and I, not to mention Father, seriously considered execution for you."

"That would have been better than living in this God-forsaken dungeon," Hans muttered as he began the meal.

To this, Lief replied, "A life sentence was the best choice for your punishment, little brother. You deserved to be servely punished. I mean, trying to murder the Queen? Why did you ever think of _that_?" Then, the older man noticed something - Hans had taken off his gloves. He quickly asked, "Hans, what are you doing? Put those gloves back on right now."

Hans rolled his eyes and said, "So? They'll just make this meal even more unappetizing than it already is. I haven't eaten with the gloves on since before you locked me up."

"And you'll start now," Leif said angrily. "Put the gloves on before I leave, or you will be in _big _trouble."

"More than I'm already in?" Hans asked with a teasing tone.

Now, Lief was very angry. "I am not kidding, Hans. Just because you're in a jail cell doesn't mean you can do what you like. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Now Hans, too, was angry. He rose from the ledge, spilling the food, and retorted, "Just because I'm in a jail cell doesn't mean you can try to control me. That's all you ever did to me!"

Leif was trying to calm down, hoping his brother would do the same. "I am your superior, Hans Westergaurd. You _will_ listen to me. All I ask is that you put the gloves back on."

"_Leave me alone!_" Hans shouted, thrusting his arms toward the bars on the cell door. He didn't know why - the gesture was almost instinctive. However, to his surprise, a jet of fire streamed from his hands to the iron bars, melting them almost completely. Lief leaped back toward the side of the jail complex as the fire hit the stone wall and exploded. Wide-eyed, Hans stared at his hands - the very hands from which he had created flame - with a mixture of shock and surprise for a while, then lifted his gaze toward Lief. His brother was also wide-eyed, but the expression in them this time was fear.

A long silence. Then the first words out of Lief's mouth were, "Oh, _no_."

**Next Chapter: Meanwhile, over in Arendelle... **


	2. Chapter 2: Fun at the Festival

**A heartfelt thanks to all who have reviewed thus far. For those of you who just found this story, please review! I do not own _Frozen_!**

_Arendelle, 10:00 AM, about three months after the events of _Frozen _(same day as Ch. 1)_

"And now, without further ado, I declare the Arendelle Harvest Festival officially open!" The crowd cheered as Queen Elsa, using a quickly-made pair of ice scissors, cut the ribbon separating them from the castle courtyard, which was currently filled with all sorts of booths, advertising games with prizes, delicious food, and interesting trinkets for sale. The maypole was also up, as was a platform for performances. Chatting excitedly, the citizens of Arendelle rushed into the courtyard and dispersed themselves among the many different activities.

As she watched the excitement, Elsa gave a small smile. The Harvest Festival was a tradition going back generations, always celebrated the day the first load of crops came into town. However, she had not been allowed to attend for the past thirteen years. Then again, neither had Anna. Now, the two were finally going to take part in the festivities - together. All that time being apart from Anna was too much time, in Elsa's opinion.

Speaking of Anna, where _was_ the princess? As Elsa dashed into the courtyard to look for her sister, she noted how easy it was to run in her ice-dress. Elsa had designed it with both fashion and practicality in mind, so she could look like a queen and still take part in the high-energy games that her sister loved. Of course, Anna was always saying that her older sister looked regal no matter what she wore. Then the Ministers of Arendelle, Elsa's "helpful" governing council, would always bring up the crown that Elsa had "lost" on the North Mountain, usually saying that it was an heirloom and should still be on Elsa's head. There had been some large fights between Anna and the council on this matter, so, about a month ago, Elsa had created a new crown for herself out of ice to solve the problem. It kept the Ministers quiet _and_ looked great with the dress.

Elsa soon found Anna at the maypole, dancing around it with Olaf. The pair seemed to be having a lot of fun - they were both laughing as they skipped around the pole, holding onto their ribbons. They seemed an odd couple to Elsa, but Anna, with her dull green-and-brown dress and strawberry-blonde braids and Olaf, the living snowman, constantly leaving a foot behind him or dropping his carrot nose, were the two people closest to her. They were her family.

Elsa waved to her sister, who, upon noticing her, immediately dropped her ribbon and came right at her. "Elsa!" Anna cried, throwing her arms around the queen. (Elsa gladly returned the gesture.) "I have _so_ much to tell you!" the princess continued. "Kristoff just finished setting up his ice booth, and Olaf invented a new snack!"

The last comment caught Elsa by surprise. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked.

Olaf replied, "It's a long story. C'mon, we'll show you!" As Olaf waddled off, Elsa couldn't help noticing that a good chunk of his back was missing. She gave a quizzical look to Anna, who said, "I'll explain when we get to Kristoff's booth," and hurried after the snowman. Elsa followed her, still wondering what exactly had happened.

Elsa was pleasantly surprised when they found the Official Arendelle Ice Master's Booth. She had been expecting a ramshackle work, operated from Kristoff's sled. Instead, he had set up shop in a three-sided booth (the fourth side was open) with one area dedicated to ice sculptures for sale, and another with a game that involved chipping away at blocks of ice to get at a small object inside. Near the sled, which was parked behind the booth, Sven was taking a nap (and snoring loudly.) When Kristoff noticed the sisters and the snowman, he waved and said, "Hey, can you guys get Sven to wake up? That snoring is driving me crazy and everyone else away."

"No problem!" said Anna as she waltzed over to the reindeer. As she shouted into his ears ("HEY SVEN! RISE AND SHINE!"), Elsa came over to Kristoff and told him, "Anna said Olaf invented a new snack. Does that have anything to do with the fact that his back is almost gone?"

"Oh, that," said Kristoff nervously. "See, before Olaf first came over here, he'd gotten some strawberry juice spilled on himself. Sven noticed that before I did, and... well... let's just say that he's the one responsible for the missing back."

"You had some, too!" added Olaf, who was trying his hand at the ice-block game and failing miserably. When Elsa turned an icy glare towards Kristoff, he shrugged and said, "True. But it did give me an idea for one more thing I could offer here. If I just had some fresh snow and a couple of types of fruit juice, I could show you."

"Gotcha covered," said Elsa, and with a wave of her hand, she created a small pile of snow on the blank side of Kristoff's booth, along with a snow cloud like Olaf's to keep it from melting. Then she said, "I'll go grab that juice now. Maybe you could help Anna with your pet," noting that Anna's attempts to rouse Sven were not exactly working. And with that, Elsa turned on her ice-heeled shoes and headed over to a nearby juice stand.

On her way to the stand, Elsa was jostled by a young man of about twenty, who was on his way to the target game. She didn't take notice, but the man immediately turned around and said, "My sincerest apologies, my queen. I-I-I didn't mean to bump into you, I wasn't looking where I was going, I..."

"No need to apologize," replied Elsa calmly. "It could have happened to anyone."

The man was surprised. "You aren't angry at me? You're not going to freeze my heart or anything?"

Now it was Elsa's turn to be surprised. "Of course not! Where did you get an idea like that?"

"Well, um, uh," the young man replied, "people say that you get upset really easily. And that you freeze people's hearts when they disagree with you. And... well... you get the picture, right, Your Majesty?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow and said, "I do, but it's the wrong picture. I used to get upset easily, but not anymore. And I only ever froze _one_ heart - on accident."

"I see," said the man nervously. "But still, is there anything I can do for you to make it up?"

Elsa thought quickly and replied, "Actually, there is. You can help me carry juice." The young man seemed surprised at this, but he followed at Elsa's heels to the juice stand. The queen purchased four small pitchers of juice, taking two of them herself as her companion picked up the other two. Then they headed back to Kristoff's booth. Olaf was still not having any success with the ice-block game, nor Anna and Kristoff with waking up Sven. After putting down his pitchers near the snow pile, the man bowed to Elsa and hurried off.

Once she had set down her own pitchers, Elsa headed over to Sven. Over the snoring, she could hear Anna saying, "Hasn't this ever bothered you before?" and Kristoff replying, "Actually, no. We always tend to fall asleep at the same time, and the trolls tell me I snore just as badly as he does."

"No luck?" asked Elsa.

"None," replied Anna. "The big guy is out cold. Nothing's working."

Elsa winked and said, "Maybe this will help," then quickly formed a small snowball and hurled it at Sven. With a surprised grunt, the reindeer was up on his hooves within seconds. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff laughed their heads off (literally, in Olaf's case) as Sven danced around, trying to get the snow out of his fur. The scene attracted a small crowd, so Kristoff used his version of ventriloquism to add to the fun - "Elsaaaaaa, why'd you do thaaaaat?" Sven seemed to be saying. It _was_ pretty funny.

Suddenly, Elsa realized that she had a lot of paperwork on her desk that she had completely forgotten about. She made her way through the growing crowd to the castle, and from there to her office, a small room where she worked on legal matters. The papers the Ministers had sent over to her to look over always seemed to end up here. To start, Elsa began to sort the mess into smaller, more manageable piles. As she worked, she let her mind wander back to the encounter with the young man.

_Is _that _who the people think I am? _she thought. _A cruel sorceress with no respect for opinions other than my own? All I need is a way to show them otherwise..._

**Next chapter: Hans discovers more about his newfound powers...**


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth Revealed

**I know this is my shortest chapter yet, but all that needed to be said here is said. It may also be my weakest, so please review! I do not own Frozen!**

_The next day, Southern Isles, about 8:00 AM_

Hans paced back and forth in the library, lost in thought. Lief, who was sitting down nearby, watched him nervously. The previous night, Hans had gone right back to sleep after the "incident", but today he wanted information. Hans turned around and asked his brother, "Exactly how long have I had these powers for?"

"Since the day you were born," Lief replied nervously. Fear was still in his eyes. "Father started making all of us wear gloves - including you - after you first demonstrated those powers."

"And why is that?" Hans demanded angrily.

Lief trembled, but he managed to stammer, "We've never had magic in the family until you. Who knew what you could do? We had to prevent you from rediscovering it - to keep you safe. You and everybody else here."

"Is this why you and our other eleven brothers always shut me out? Just because I had powers over fire?" Hans was angrier than ever at this point. "Look at Queen Elsa!"

"Who kept herself and her powers hidden for thirteen years," said Lief, attempting to regain his composure. "We didn't think - "

'Enough, Lief," interrupted Hans. "The damage has been done." With that, Hans calmly headed for the doorway, but just before he got there, he turned around and thrust his hand angrily in Lief's direction. Flames shot out and struck the older prince in the chest. Lief collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air and clutching his chest as a streak of his brown hair turned ash-black. He breathed, "Wh-why did you do this to me?"

Hans smiled deviously and replied, "I intend to use these fire powers of mine to gain retribution on all who have wronged me. And you, big brother, have wronged me."

"Look, Hans, I-I-I'm sorry..." Leif tried to say as more of his hair turned black.

As Hans left the room, he looked back at his eldest brother and said softly, "Too late, Lief. Twenty years too late."

**Next chapter: The Arendelle Harvest Festival continues, but will Elsa and Anna get to enjoy it together?**


	4. Chapter 4: Meet Olga

**I have noticed that my review section is running short of what I hoped it would have. PLEASE review this time and fill that page! I do not own Frozen!**

_Arendelle Harvest Festival Day 2, about 10:00 AM_

Today, the Festival was in high gear. Action was everywhere - there were lines at all the game booths, loud singing came from a platform, and the sight of someone running around in their nightclothes suggested that maybe the 24-hour beer stall had not been such a good idea after all. Unfortunately, Elsa was still unable to take part in the fun. Watching the action from a balcony, she thought, _I just want them to see the real me, the me that Anna sees - the fun-lover, the older sister. How can I show that side of me to them? _Sighing, she returned to her still-overflowing-with-paperwork desk.

Meanwhile, Anna was every bit as busy as Elsa, but having a lot more fun. She, Olaf, and Kristoff were having a bit of a hard time keeping up with all the visitors to the booth - attendance had skyrocketed after what was now known as the "Dancing Reindeer" incident, much to Sven's chagrin. (The reindeer was currently being bombarded by children who were begging him to "do the dance".) The three areas of the booth were each being commandeered by a different person - Kristoff was selling his ice sculptures, Olaf was in charge of the ice-block game, and Anna was handling the newest area.

"What's this, Mama?" asked a small child visiting Anna's side of the booth. Anna leaned down and told him, "We call these 'snow cones', and they're delicious! Would you like one?" When the child's mother nodded at her son, Anna smiled. She asked her customer, "What kind of juice is your favorite?"

"Grape!" answered the boy excitedly.

"Grape it is, then," said Anna, and got to work. Scooping a snowball from the pile of snow, she plopped it onto a paper cone and drizzled grape juice over it. "Here you go," she said as she handed it to the kid. His mother gave Anna a coin, and the child began to scarf it down. Purple juice splattered all over his mouth; Anna couldn't help laughing. The mother, smiling and shaking her head simultaneously, led her son away.

Around noon, Olaf said, "I'm hot. And bored. And hungry."

Kristoff discreetly winked at Anna, she winked back, and they said simultaneously, "We could go for a picnic..."

At this, Olaf became excited, saying, "Can we?!" Kristoff replied, "Well, business _has _dropped off since the weather got hot, and Anna prepped some lunch for us. But if you're having too much fun here..." "Are you kidding me?!" squealed Olaf. "Let's go!"

The best picnic spot in the area was on top of one of the many cliffs overlooking the fjord. It was relatively easy for Sven to pull the three up there on the sled, so they arrived in no time. While Anna and Kristoff worked on spreading out the blanket, fixing the sandwiches, and keeping Sven away from the cherry pie, Olaf was dancing around excitedly, shouting, "I've always dreamed of doing something like this!" and singing what Anna and Kristoff knew as his summer song.

"He's never really experienced a picnic before, has he?" asked Kristoff as he and Anna prepared to eat. Being extra busy with his ice business lately, he didn't really keep tabs on the snowman's adventures. Usually Anna told him about the more interesting ones. Now she replied, "Well, sometimes Elsa takes him when she's not too busy, but what he's always really wanted is to go with you and me and Sven. I have no idea why," giggling.

Once all the food was finished (thankfully, Sven had shared the pie), Kristoff reached behind him into the sled and grabbed an instantly recognizable object. "You brought your lute!" Anna said excitedly. Kristoff said nothing, but began to pluck out a tune with his fingers and sing:

_Other people walk through life  
__Where you prefer to skip.  
__And other people watch their step  
__Where you most likely trip._

_Sure, your hair's not perfect,  
__And there's - what's that - on your clothes,  
__And yeah, you're kinda talkative,  
__With freckles on your nose..._

_But you're you-you-you,  
__And that's what makes me smile.  
__You're_ _you-you-you,_  
_So stay that way awhile._

"Oh, Kristoff," said Anna a bit dreamily, "I don't know what to say!" Kristoff continued:

_You don't have to say a thing,  
I know the way you feel.  
Your face is like an open book,  
So honest, true, and real._

_Other people lie and cheat  
When push may come to shove.  
Your heart doesn't work like that,  
So you're the girl I love..._

_You're you-you-you,  
That's how I hope you'll stay.  
You're you-you-you,  
But, anyway, that's all I got to say..._

As Kristoff strummed the final chord, he noticed that Anna was missing. "Where's Anna?" he asked Olaf hurriedly. "She headed down the fjord about the time you were singing about an open book," replied the snowman. "Something about snowballs... Why? Did you want her for anything?"

"Oh, nothing," said Kristoff, "it's nothing." Letting out a long sigh, he started to pack up the picnic things and reload the sled. Sven was soon pulling it down the cliff and back to the marketplace.

Earlier that morning, Elsa and Anna had agreed that they did need to spend some quality time together during the Harvest Festival. Thus, they had arranged to judge a snowball-throwing contest, in hopes of being able to bond. However, Elsa was still worried about the previous day, and Anna noticed that her older sister was not her normal self.

"Are you okay?" asked Anna. "You don't seem yourself."

Elsa let out a breath and replied, "Anna... do you think I'm... you know... not fit to be queen?"

Anna giggled and replied, "Hey, life's too short to miss out on a sister like you. You're perfect. Now are we going to judge this contest or not?"

Elsa smiled and said, "Let's do this."

The contest consisted of a target, like those used in archery, and a large pile of snow, provided by Elsa, for each contestant. The contestants had to shape as many snowballs as they could within the time limit and throw them at the target. Whoever got the most bulls-eye's would win.

The proceedings were fast and furious, but a clear winner emerged. After Elsa presented the winner of the contest, a girl with glasses, with a personalized ice sculpture, she told the rest of the kids, "You all did very well, and you deserve some fun!" With a wave of her arms, she transformed the target area into a winter wonderland within seconds. Squealing with joy, the kids dispersed onto their new playground.

Anna noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Kristoff's sled returning to the courtyard. She waved him and Olaf over to where she and Elsa were standing, next to a pile of snow. When they arrived, she asked, "Why don't we build something out of this stuff?"

"How about a snowgirl?" Olaf asked. "I could use a little companionship..."

"A snowgirl it is, then," said Elsa, smiling at Olaf. Kristoff shrugged and went over to a veggie stand for a carrot nose. Olaf found some sticks for her arms and hair, including several short ones that made perfect eyelashes. Elsa and Anna rolled the snowballs that would make up her body. They all worked together to put the snowgirl together. When she was finished, she looked a lot like Olaf, except for the eyelashes and the fact that she wasn't alive.

"I think she needs a name..." said Kristoff.

Anna suggested, "How about Olga?" "I like that," said Elsa, and the others nodded their agreement.

"Do you think you could bring her to life?" Olaf asked Elsa hopefully.

"I don't know, but I'll try..." said Elsa nervously. How _had_ she brought Olaf and Marshmallow to life? Elsa racked her brain for any way she could possibly do the same for Olga. Suddenly, the idea hit her like a snowball. She had channeled whatever emotion she had been feeling at the moment when creating the figures - joy for Olaf, frustration for Marshmallow - and, as a result, they had come to life. Now, pointing her arms at Olga, she concentrated on her joy once more - she was celebrating the Harvest Festival, with people who cared about her. Olga's eyes glowed for a moment, then fluttered open. She announced, "Hi! I'm Olga and I like warm hugs!"

Olaf, who had stepped closer to get a better look, was happily surprised. He told his new friend, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs, too! C'mon, I'll show you around!" He took her stick arm, and they happily skipped off together.

"He seems happy," said Anna. Elsa smiled, but before she could reply, a man on horseback galloped into the courtyard. He wore red, the official color of the Southern Isles. He stopped in front of Elsa, handing her a roll of paper and saying, "Urgent news from the Southern Isles, Your Majesty," before leaving.

With quaking hands, Elsa undid the ribbon holding the paper together. With Anna and Kristoff looking over her shoulders, she carefully unrolled the paper. It seemed to be in the form of a letter, written in the shaky hand of the elderly king of the Southern Isles, with the symbol of the country, an autumn leaf, at the top. However, instead of the normal hues of gold, the crest was done in black. Elsa read the text of the letter aloud to herself:

_To Her Majesty Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_It grieves me greatly to write these words, but I must. Crown Prince Lief of the Southern Isles is dead._

_The circumstances surrounding his death were most extraordinary. Lief was found in our library late last night, and he seemed to be extremely pained. He was hot to the touch, and his brown hair had mysteriously turned black. He said something undecipherable about his youngest brother, the traitor Hans, before crumbling into ashes. Curiously, many other princes of the Southern Isles also lost their lives in a manner similar to this. The only sons I have left are Eric and Rolf, who left on a diplomatic mission before the deaths._

_On a related note, Hans has escaped from prison. The iron bars on his cell door were found melted down into nothing. A large reward is being offered for his recapture, so if you find him, alert me immediately._

_With all due respect,_

_King Frederick of the Southern Isles_

"Do you suppose there's a connection?" asked Anna. Suddenly, a large fireball hit the ice playground, melting it almost completely. Raising her head, Elsa found herself looking at the one man she had hoped never to see again.

Hans of the Southern Isles.

**Next chapter: Hans begins his retribution on Arendelle...**


	5. Chapter 5: When Fire Meets Ice

**Thanks for the influx of reviews! I understand that people want me to make my chapters longer, so I'll do that to the best of my ability. I am also aware that I made several careless errors - won't happen again, promise. Please continue reviewing, and I do not own Frozen! (Or, for the record, that song I used last chapter. That was one of the many that didn't make it into the movie.)**

Elsa was flabbergasted. She had been positive that Hans could not return to Arendelle, _ever_. How had he gotten past the dock, where Elsa had stationed multiple guards to make sure no one who had sinister intentions could come to Arendelle? And how had he managed to get his hands on a red-with-gold-trim dress jacket?

Anna tapped Elsa's shoulder and said, "Maybe Kristoff and the snowpeople and I can get the people safe while you deal with him?"

"Yes, that would work," said Elsa. As Anna and the others tried to get the attention of the fairgoers, Elsa stepped forward to meet Hans. She had only to take a few steps before she was face-to-face with him. "Hans. What are _you_ doing here?" Elsa asked with a slight edge to her voice.

Hans answered with a smirk, "Hello to you too, Snow Queen. It really hasn't been that long since we last saw each other, though, I must confess, the tables were turned then." He was right; the last time the two had met had been at Hans's trial back in the Southern Isles. Hans had been in chains and representing himself, and Elsa had been called in as a witness, along with Anna. The royal sisters' testimony had helped get Hans in prison for life.

"That was because you committed treason _and_ attempted regicide. But I still don't know why you've returned to Arendelle," Elsa retorted.

"Just to take what should have been mine long ago," said Hans sinisterly as he held out a hand. To Elsa's surprise, a tongue of fire appeared in Hans's palm.

"You have powers over fire?" Elsa asked in surprise and shock. She had thought that her ice powers were something to be proud of, but seeing Hans able to summon fire was something else altogether. More disturbing, more... sinister.

Hans singgered. He was clearly enjoying this. "That's right," he told Elsa as he used his free hand to make the flame change shape. "My twelve older brothers tried to keep this power hidden from everyone - even me. You can be sure that they got their just deserts after I escaped."

Of course. The events that King Frederick had described in the letter all made sense now that Elsa knew about Hans's powers. He had melted the bars of his cell, perpetrating his escape. And the deaths of his brothers... "_Y__ou_ killed them," Elsa said aloud. "I honestly wouldn't put that past you, Hans."

"Stop calling me that!" Hans shouted angrily. "I've put my past behind me. Now I look to the future - as the Fire Prince!"

Elsa responded, "Whatever you say... Hans." She could almost hear Anna's snickers from across the courtyard. Now Elsa was letting her mischievous side come out, and it was making Hans - the Fire Prince - whatever he was calling himself - pretty angry.

Hans yelled, "If it weren't for you and your annoying sister, I would be in my proper place! But now, _no one_ is going to stand in my way. This kingdom is mine!"

"Never!" retorted Elsa. As her eyes met Hans's, she knew that this could only mean one thing. They would have to battle it out.

* * *

"What's going on?"

"What's that traitor doing here?"

Such shouts filled the air as Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Olga led the townsfolk toward the safety of the castle. Anna yelled, "Everyone calm down! Queen Elsa's dealing with Hans, but everybody needs to stay in the castle until further notice."

"Who's Hans?" Olga discreetly asked Olaf. The two snowpeople had been having a great time exploring the Harvest Festival, and they were starting to develop "feelings" for each other. The two were quickly becoming inseparable.

"Oh, him," said Olaf. "Well..." He told his girlfriend about what Hans had done to the royal sisters three months ago. "He's not the best person to hang around."

Looking back at Hans, Olga asked, "Really? He doesn't seem that bad..."

"Trust me, he is. And I usually don't say that about people," replied Olaf.

"Maybe you two could look for stragglers," interrupted Kristoff. "I thought I saw some people over by the flower booth."

The snowpeople said in unison, "You can count on us!" and skipped off, arm in arm, to look for people that had missed the main crowd. As they searched, Olga couldn't help noticing Hans and Elsa's confrontation. She sighed and continued with Olaf.

* * *

Hans began the battle by shooting a few fireballs toward Elsa. She countered his attack by encasing the fireballs in ice, creating a nice opaly effect. Then, Elsa swung her arm in a circle, sending a flurry of needle-sharp icicles in Hans's direction. He quickly melted them, then blasted a stream of fire straight at Elsa, who blocked it with a wall of ice. The fire melted the ice and disappeared, but a stray bit of the magic the Elsa had used to create the ice wall flew upward, then came down and hit Hans square in the shoulder. The prince seemed hurt for a moment, but quickly recovered, shooting a lot of small fireballs toward Elsa. She managed to freeze most of them, but one hit her on the leg. Elsa winced in pain as a burning sensation racked her skin - but only for a moment. Then, it was as if nothing had happened.

Elsa was about to try a strategy she had used on one of the thugs from Wesselton - pushing her adversary into a dangerous position with a large chunk of ice - when Anna reappeared. She told Elsa, "Okay, the people are all in the castle, and Kristoff and Olaf are hitching Sven to a sled. Maybe now would be a good time to leave...?"

After a quick glance at Hans, Elsa realized the wisdom in her sister's idea. If she stayed, Hans would find a way to kill her. Escaping would give her a chance to plan her next move. She nodded at Anna, and the sisters raced off into now-nearly-deserted courtyard. Hans yelled after them, "This isn't over yet, Snow Queen!"

The sled that Sven was being hitched to belonged to a fishmonger - Elsa could tell by the fish in the back. As they worked, Kristoff was telling Olaf, "I'd really prefer if we used _my _sled..." "Sven" added, "I'll never get this fish scent off me!"

To this, Olaf retorted, "We don't have _time_ to find your sled, Sven!" Olaf only called Kristoff "Sven" when he was exasperated with the ice miner, so Elsa could tell he was under a lot of pressure. She asked the snowman, "Where's Olga?"

"She's singing for the crowd in the castle. Why?" Olaf responded.

Elsa told him, "I want you and Olga to be in charge while we're gone. Is that alright with you?" Olaf shouted in reply, "Of course!"

"Good," Elsa said as she got onto the sled with Anna and Kristoff. Kristoff snapped the reins, and Olaf waved goodbye to the group as they traveled off into the forest.

**Next chapter: Pabbie reveals the secrets of Elsa's and Hans's powers...**


	6. Chapter 6: Family Reunion

**I am aware that many people think leaving the snowpeople in charge was a not-so-good idea. Olaf and Olga were the most qualified people for the job that Elsa (and I) could think of. Action was necessary, and they were the first people who popped into Elsa's head. Plus, they can keep the crowd happy. Also , I'm being betaed by cder3! Yay! Please continue reviewing, and (last time I'll say this) I do not own Frozen!**

The sled journey was passing quickly. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff had all agreed that the best place to go for now would be the Valley of the Living Rocks - it was a relatively safe place to be, and maybe the trolls would know something about Hans's powers. And, perhaps, his weakness. As they traveled, Kristoff and Anna chatted about the trolls and their hopes for seeing them again, but Elsa was silent. Still worried about her public image, she was racking her mind for a way to make sure her people knew that she had only their best interests at heart.

"So," Anna asked Kristoff, "what's with the crystals?"

Kristoff replied, "The trolls can utilize magic of all kinds. When the kids first master a particular type of magic, they earn a special crystal that corresponds to that type. Eventually, they find their 'specialty', the type of magic they're best at, and all of their crystals turn that color. Bulda's crystals are pink because she specializes in love magic-", rolling his eyes, "-and Cliff has blue crystals for water. They've even been trying to teach me magic."

"And are they succeeding?" Anna asked curiously. Kristoff replied, "A bit. I'm starting to master earth magic - y'know, making plants grow, moving rocks around, and all that. But it takes the trolls centuries to master every type of magic, and I don't have that kind of time!" The two snickered, but Elsa remained silent.

Anna noticed her sister's mood and asked, "Elsa? What's going on with you?"

Elsa took a deep breath and let the story of her encounter the previous day and her worries about her public image spill out of her mouth. The speech was almost unintelligible, but Anna was able to understand every word. When Elsa was done, Anna inhaled and exhaled, then said, "First off, that guy is crazy. Believe me, I know him. He believes in every superstition in the book, so don't take it personally."

Elsa nodded, but didn't say anything. Anna continued, "And second off, you don't need to be so worried about your image. Did you see those kids' faces when you created the ice playground? They love you and your powers!"

"Maybe," responded Elsa, "but I still feel like most of the adults in Arendelle treat me with a cold shoulder..."

Anna said, "That's just because you and they started off on the wrong foot. The Eternal Winter wasn't your fault - we've been over that. But a lot of people still don't trust you for that. You need to show them that you can use your powers for good."

"I know," said Elsa, "but how?" Anna smiled at her sister. "You'll think of something, I know."

By this time, the group had reached the Valley. Kristoff, Elsa, and Anna got off the sled and advanced into the clearing. Immediately, the rocks began to rumble and roll toward the group, then unfurl into trolls. "Kristoff and the girls are here!" they cried.

After going through the take-off-your-clothes routine with Bulda, Kristoff told his adopted family, "We need to see Grand Pabbie now. Seriously, it's an emergency." While a few trolls went over to fetch their leader, the little ones, led by Pebble and Sandy, begged Kristoff to play Heave-It with them. Kristoff groaned, but Anna offered to try, too.

The game was simple. Kristoff (and now, Anna, too,) had to pick up a troll child, heave them around in a circle, and let go at a particular spot. From there, the kids could do anything they needed to to get as far as possible. The troll farthest away from the start won.

The young trolls were heavy, so Kristoff was grateful that Anna was heaving as well. After a few rounds, Pabbie arrived in the clearing. Elsa, who had been having a delightful chat with some of the female trolls, quickly explained everything she knew about Hans and his powers to the wise old troll. When she finished, all was quiet for a moment. Even the nonstop talkers fell dead silent.

Pabbie softly began to speak. "Magic is a curious concept. It can manifest itself in many different forms, usually when when the right factors come together at the right moment. You were born during a blizzard and a lunar eclipse, two very powerful forces. Thus, you were born with powers over ice and snow.

Elsa, are you familiar with the concept of yin and yang?" Elsa was. A Chinese military couple had visited a while back, and had explained this concept to her and Anna during their visit. Apparently, all things in nature existed in a delicate balance of opposite forces - dark and light, male and female, positive and negative. Elsa believed that this concept explained a lot about the world for her.

The troll continued, "It is the same with magic. One type of magic cannot exist without its polar opposite. Both types are necessary for a proper balance. Your powers and Hans's are a perfect example." He paused. "Neither can ever completely overcome the other. This is why neither you nor Hans were able to hurt the other."

Anna asked, "So is there a weakness of some sort in Hans? A soft spot we can use to our advantage?"

"Actually, yes," Pabbie continued. "Your personalities are also opposites - to each other and your respective powers. Elsa, Hans's heart is as cold as your ice, while yours is as warm as his fire. If you managed to freeze his heart, his powers could not overcome this ice, and he would freeze over."

Another pause. "Unfortunately," Pabbie continued, "this also applies to you. If Hans burnt your heart, you would not be able to overpower this magic, and you would turn to ashes."

All was quiet for a moment. Then Elsa said softly, "The ice palace. We can stay there until we know what to do with Hans."

Anna and Kristoff liked this idea, but before they could return to the sled, Pabbie said, "Wait a moment. I have something I'd like to give Elsa." He took from behind his back an icy blue crystal. "It's an ice crystal," he said. "I think you've earned it." Elsa smiled, quickly crafted a string from ice, and fashioned a pendant out of the crystal. She felt uplifted when she put on the necklace, like a missing piece of herself had been found.

Soon, the group on their way once more. But none of them knew that the person they were trying to get away from had followed them to the Valley and was lurking in the shadows.

As Hans turned to leave, he didn't notice a pair of leather-bound books, each with an autumn leaf on the cover, fall to the ground from a bag on his shoulder. But a female troll did notice. _What's this__?_, she wondered as she picked up the books and began leafing through them. Suddenly, another troll called, "Hey, Lime! C'mon! Pebble is about to get his water crystal!" Lime rejoined the rest of the trolls, taking the books with her and still wondering what they could mean.

**Next chapter: Back in Arendelle, Olga faces a conscience crisis... **


	7. Chapter 7: Meltdown

**Yoo hoo! Big summer blowout! (Just kidding. It's fall.) So, I may not be updating as frequently this month. NaNoWriMo is here, and I have to divide my time between this and that. I've also published a new story, Ashdown High (check it out!) Don't worry, devoted fans, December will be here before you know it! **

Olaf loved being in charge. Especially when he could do it with his girlfriend. The two considered their duty to be to keep the spirits of the people high, so that's exactly what they were doing.

Their latest gimmick: a magic show. Dressed in a long black cape and top hat "borrowed" from a closet, "The Great Olafini" had, so far, made flowers appear out of someone's ear, made a small coin disappear and reappear, and cloaked the Great Hall in darkness (he hadn't actually meant to do that last one, but his "lovely assistant Olga" had helped the light return). Now, he called out to the assembled crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! I, The Great Olafini, will now cut my lovely assistant Olga in _half!_" The children assembled at the front of the crowd gasped with delight, and a few eyebrows were raised among the adults as well.

Olga hopped onto a table in front of her boyfriend, ready for action. Olaf picked up a large saw he had "found" near a woodpile and lowered it towards Olga. Then, making swift back-and-forth motions with his tool, he sliced his girlfriend into two pieces without her batting an eyelash. Most of the crowd applauded, but one skeptic shouted, "Oh, come on! Is that really her?"

Olaf didn't reply, but put down his saw and picked up a feather, with which he began to tickle Olga's foot. Olga burst out laughing, and the crowd was convinced - The Great Olafini had done it again!

Suddenly, a loud scream came from somewhere near the courtyard. Olaf ditched his cape and hat, Olga reformed herself, and the two snowpeople raced to a window from which they could observe what was happening. The gates were on fire, and a certain redheaded man in a red-and-gold dress jacket was approaching the front doors. Olaf and Olga had, fortunately, planned for this kind of emergency. Olga called to the crowd, "Okay people, follow me!" and skipped out of the room, leading the whispering mass. Meanwhile, Olaf got to work pushing chairs and such against the door. "You're not getting in here, Hans!" he said quietly as he worked.

Eventually, there was a large bump against the door, and Olaf could here Hans saying, "Let me in, you little imp!" on the other side. It was then that the snowman began to panic, but an idea came quickly. Moving fast, he separated himself into head, nose, middle, arms, butt, and feet and scattered these parts all over the Great Hall. At that moment, Hans burst through the door.

Olaf wiggled his feet to make it look as if he were trying to hide under a chair. Hans quickly incinerated said chair, but Olaf's personal flurry had manipulated itself to cover all of his parts (Olaf made a mental note to ask Elsa about that later), so his feet escaped unharmed. Then, Olaf jiggled his butt to make Hans think that he was in a corner. That corner quickly became an inferno, but Olaf's butt remained intact. Olaf kept Hans busy in this manner, carefully inching all of his parts towards a side exit in the process. Soon, however, Hans had figured out Olaf's trick and made a lunge for the snowman's head. Olaf tried to roll it out of the way, but Hans was too quick for him and grabbed the head.

"Now," demanded Hans, "you tell me where the royal heirlooms are kept, or you're a pile of slush."

Olaf replied, "I don't know!" He didn't want to give this weirdo any information like that, so he was delaying the response as best he could.

"I don't care if you know!" Hans shouted. "If you want to live another day, tell me at least where you think they are." At that moment, Olga opened the door and announced, "Okay, everyone's in the North Tower and - " Here she stopped short and began to stare at Hans, who smirked at Olaf('s head), "Well now, thanks to your little girlfriend here, I know where to find the townsfolk."

Olga nervously responded, "I'm glad I could help you. In fact... I've been considering joining you." Both Hans and Olaf shouted, "What?!" The only difference was, Hans was excited and Olaf was shocked.

Olga shyly continued, "I... I've been feeling insecure about myself lately, like I'm not strong enough to help you and the others, Olaf. It's like I don't know where my place is..."

"Oh, Olga," Hans replied in the tone he had used when reassuring Elsa back in the prison, "belive me, the Snow Queen isn't worth helping. She is weak, afraid to use her powers. Join me, and you will be joining the winning side."

Olaf shouted, "That's not true! Elsa's just getting used to her powers, that's all. Hans here tried to kill both Elsa and Anna, remember? Don't fall for his trap!"

Olga looked at Hans, then Olaf. She then stated, "Hans... I'm with you."

"Excellent," Hans replied, while Olaf closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

**Next chapter: A peek into Elsa's thoughts...**


	8. Chapter 8: Return to the Ice Palace

After a certain point, the sled was no longer useful, so Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven continued the journey to Elsa's ice palace on foot. There were no friendly words between anyone now; all were worried about the safety of Arendelle. Every member of the group knew the way to the palace, so the trip didn't take very long. They arrived just as the sun was beginning to set.

The ice palace and the staircase leading up to it still bore the scars of the aftermath of Elsa freezing Anna's heart. Part of the guardrails on the stairs and balcony were nonexistent, and a large chunk of ice could be seen on said balcony. And, of course, there was Marshmallow, the giant snow monster Elsa had created to get rid of Anna and Kristoff. Now, Marshmallow burst out of the front entryway and roared, beginning to lumber down the staircase. Elsa managed to stop him from grabbing her friends at the last minute. She told him, "Anna and Kristoff are _not_ enemies. They are friends." She paused. "They are family." Unbeknownst to Elsa, Kristoff smiled shyly, while Marshmallow grunted and let the three people pass; Sven stayed behind. He grunted something to the snow monster, who burst out into laughter.

"What was _that_ about?" asked Anna as Elsa worked on rebuilding the guardrail. Kristoff replied, "Sven told him the oldest joke in the book. I don't know why either of them thinks that one is funny." Soon, the staircase was flawless once more, and the group continued up to the door of the palace. Elsa opened it with ease, and they all stepped inside.

The entryway was every bit as breathtaking as it had been when the three had seen it last time, but there was one small change. On top of a pile of snow near the fountain sat Elsa's old crown. "Maybe you should take it, Elsa," suggested Anna. "At least the Ministers will be happy." Elsa smiled at her sister and picked up the crown. It wasn't nearly as attractive as the ice crown, but Anna did have a point. It would be nice to have the Ministers bothering her about one less thing. Keeping the crown at her side, she said to Anna and Kristoff, "I'll show you the bedrooms. We all need to relax a bit."

Up a staircase and down a hallway stood two bedrooms, one for Elsa and a guest room. Kristoff and Anna went over to the guest room, while Elsa entered her own bedroom. It had been a bit boring up there in the ice palace by herself, so Elsa had kept herself busy by experimenting with her powers - namely, trying to make her castle seem more like a home. In her bedroom, for example, Elsa had made a cozy armchair, copies of her favorite books, some shelves, a wardrobe containing more icy fashions, and a comfy, four-poster bed, complete with snowflake pillows. Now, she flopped face up onto the bed and let the thoughts come.

_I just don't know,_ thought Elsa. Am_ I as warm-hearted as Pabbie thinks I am? Hans clearly has the ability to be kind, so why shouldn't I have the ability to be cruel? Of course, my goal right now is to kill him, so I _must_ have a cold heart, at least right now, anyway._

_Ice powers..._ she continued. _No one in the history of Arendelle has ever had ice powers, or even any powers at all. People just aren't used to magic, I guess. And I _did_ start our relationship off on the wrong foot with the Eternal Winter... But still, I need to find a way to convince them my intentions are all good..._

Elsa's thoughts were interrupted by a scream from the guest room. It sounded like Anna. Elsa was aware that Anna had multiple screams for different situations - the that-hurt scream, the go-away scream, and the you-scared-me scream, mainly. This particular scream sounded like a mixture of the two latter. Elsa got off the bed and raced to the guest room, where she found a wide-eyed Kristoff standing next to a gaping hole in the wall, leading to the outside. Puddles of water surrounded the area. Elsa had no need to ask what had happened - it was all too obvious.

Hans had kidnapped Anna.

**Next chapter: Hans tortures Anna, and Olga starts to feel guilty...**


	9. Chapter 9: Arendelle Happenings

Olaf watched the flames dance, wide-eyed. After Olga had done _it_, Hans had imprisoned him in this jail cell and created a fire right in the middle, likely thinking that he would melt. However, Hans had clearly forgotten about Olaf's personal flurry. Now, it kept the snowman cool as he watched the flames with delight.

Suddenly, there came a loud rattling from the door. Olaf turned to see who had arrived. _Please not Hans, please not Hans!_ he mentally begged. If the prince saw that Olaf wasn't melting, well… Things might get a bit _too_ hot. However, it was Olga that had opened the door to the cell, using her carrot nose.

"Hey," she said to Olaf. "Hey," he replied. A long, very awkward pause. Olaf broke the silence by asking, "How come you aren't melting?"

Olga replied, "Hans 'fortified' my snow with some sort of heat-resistant magic; I forget what he called it. He wanted me to check on you. Sooo…"

Olaf sighed. "You know something, Olga? Your decision to join Hans - I don't really hold it against you. I mean, it was kinda startling at the moment, but I know you're just trying to find your place."

Olga smiled. "I _am_. And, you know what? I'm even starting to regret my choice. Hans treats me like a slave. I'm just glad you still care, Olaf."

"Yeah," Olaf said. Then Olga left the cell, locking the door behind her. Olaf, still smiling, felt a tear well up in his eye as he heard her footsteps grow fainter and fainter.

* * *

The Fire Prince smiled. Things were finally going his way. A crown was on his head, people were recognizing him as their leader, and he had captured the greatest prize yet. Trouble was, the prize wouldn't shut up.

"You really think kidnapping me is gonna help anything? No way, no sirree. And you messed up Elsa's guest room, to boot! Boy, is she gonna be mad at you!" Anna hadn't stopped talking since the Fire Prince had found her. She just kept jabbering on about this, that, or the other, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. He'd ordered her tied up and gagged, but the princess had found a way to loosen the gag and keep right on talking. The Fire Prince had had just about enough.

"Shut that big mouth of yours," he demanded, "or I'll shut it for you!" With that, he formed a small flame and held it close to Anna's face. Anna winced and said, "Please don't hold it that close!"

"Would you rather I hold it this close?" asked the Fire Prince softly, moving the flame even closer. The light from the fire cast eerie shadows all around the room, and Anna, eyes wide with fear, stopped talking. Suddenly, in walked Olga. Hans extinguished the flame and asked his new sidekick with a sinister smile, "Well now, how's the prisoner?"

Olga was silent for a moment, but then said, "Olaf has melted completely, my prince. And what wasn't snow has burned away." "Excellent," the Fire Prince replied, then turned to Anna and said, "It seems as though your little snowman friend is no more. Maybe, now that you've seen what my powers can do, you'll listen to reason." Anna replied, "Maybe, maybe not."

Suddenly, in rushed one of the castle guards. He announced breathlessly, "Han… er, Fire Prince! There's been a sighting of a large snow monster coming toward Arendelle." The Fire Prince growled, "It's that Snow Queen again!" then said to the guard, "Tell _Her Majesty_ that I will be waiting to meet her in the courtyard. As for you," directed now towards Anna, "I'm going to make absolutely sure you don't get free while I'm gone." With that, he swept his hand between the princess and himself. A wall of fire sprang up, making the room almost unbearably hot. With a sinister smile at Anna, the Fire Prince left the room and locked the door.

Anna shuddered and closed her eyes. She tried to think about happy things. _Elsa...Kristoff...Olaf...chocolate...cousin Rapunzel...the Joan of Arc painting...Oh, almost forgot! My secret weapon against Hans... He won't believe his eyes when I break that one out!_

* * *

Elsa, from her vantage point atop Marshmallow's head, noted that she _had_ to use snow-monster travel more often. It was really quite convenient, and fast. The journey from Elsa's ice palace to Arendelle would have taken at least a day on foot and sled combined, but Marshmallow, making only a quick stop to grab Kristoff's sled, had made it in about an hour. She did note, however, that Kristoff (tucked under Marshmallow's arm) was looking a bit green around the gills. He was clearly not enjoying being crammed next to Sven. (And Sven clearly didn't like it either.) Elsa snickered and pointed Marshmallow in the direction of the castle towers.

As the monster approached the bridge, Elsa spotted a guard rushing towards them. Marshmallow roared, but stopped when Elsa whispered to him, "I need to talk with this man. Put me down near him." Marshmallow did as his mistress ordered. Elsa slowly approached the guard, who said in one breath, "TheFirePrincewouldliketomeetwithyouinthecourtyardrightnow!"

After a moment of thought Elsa told him, "I'll be there in a minute." And, thanks to Marshmallow, she was. Hans was waiting for her alone. Elsa thought she saw a crown nestled within his red locks. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was her father's crown. The one that a group of ametur divers had found among the wreck of her parents' ship, along with the crown she held in her hand. It just looked wrong sitting on Hans's head. He'd probably nabbed it from the cabinet where all the heirlooms were kept. Stolen it.

Elsa started the conversation by asking, "What have you done with my sister?" Hans smirked. "How'd you guess?" he smugly replied. Elsa fixed an icy stare on him, and he continued, "Princess Anna is currently in a - how do I put this? - heated situation. And it'll just keep getting hotter..."

Elsa was shocked. "Is she going to be all right?" she asked. Hans replied, "Maybe... depending on your choice." _What choice?_ Elsa wondered as Hans continued, "I'll make you a deal. Your sister...

... in exchange for your kingdom."

**Next chapter: What will Elsa do?**


	10. Chapter 10: The Tension Mounts

Elsa's heart was torn by Hans's words. If she chose to help her sister, Arendelle would be at the mercy of Hans. But if she chose to save her kingdom, Anna would die. _What am I gonna do? _thought Elsa. _Anna sacrificed herself for me during the Eternal Winter. What would she do in this kind of situation?_

Suddenly, Hans interrupted Elsa's thoughts with, "Make up your mind, Snow Queen. Time's running out for your sister... What'll it be?" Elsa looked over at Kristoff, whom Marshmallow had also placed on the ground. _Both he and I love Anna more than anyone else in the world. _Suddenly, an idea came into Elsa's head. She whispered it to Kristoff, who also liked the idea. Then Elsa turned to Hans and stated, "I accept your trade." Hans replied, "Good. I'll go see how close your sister already is to her final breath, then..." However, he was so focused on Elsa that he didn't notice Kristoff racing towards the castle.

* * *

Kristoff had only ever been inside the castle once or twice, so he didn't know his way around very well. He was just acting on instinct more than anything else. Kristoff knew that Hans had likely put Anna in with a bonfire or something, so he tried to find a hot area of the castle. Eventually, he came upon a room with a locked door that felt extremely hot. Thumping against the door, he could hear Anna's muffled cries from inside, almost smothered by the crackling of flames. Summoning all his strength, Kristoff pushed against the door until it fell over flat. He found himself looking into a spare room with fire everywhere. Just beyond the heart of the fire, Anna sat chained and in terror. When she and Kristoff made eye contact, Anna called, "Kristoff! You found me! Quick, get me out of these chains fast!"

Kristoff carefully made his way through the flames to Anna. He whispered, "Don't worry, Elsa's out there with the 'Fire Prince'; she'll be on her way as soon as she finds out what happened to Olaf and Olga," and started to utilize the heat to undo the chains. Anna sighed and started to reply, "Actually, about that..."

Suddenly, a voice neither of the two wanted to hear startled them with, "Well, well. What do we have here?" Kristoff turned around, his heart pounding.

Hans was standing in the doorway.

* * *

Elsa hurried through the dungeon, her ice shoes's click-clack echoing off the stone walls like a ticking clock, reminding her that she was running out of time. She mentally reviewed her goals: Find Olaf and Olga, meet up with Kristoff and Anna, somehow defeat Hans. Elsa thought that Hans had shut Olaf and Olga in a cell with fire - that seemed the most logical thing to have done with them. Since her powers kept her cold all the time, Elsa couldn't rely on heat to find the snowpeople; instead, she used light as a guide. And it was simple to find the orange light of Hans's fire in the dark dungeon. Soon, Elsa came across a door from which the most light was coming from. Fashioning a key from ice, she unlocked the door and slowly opened it, almost dreading what she was to find.

"Elsa!" The queen was greeted by the enthusiastic cry of her favorite snowman, seated in front of a small fire. Elsa's heart leaped at the sight, but she was surprised that he was the only occupant. "Where's Olga?" she asked.

Olaf looked a little nervous. "Oh," he said. "Olga... she and I had a run-in with Hans, and... she ended up joining forces with him."

This news came as an unpleasant surprise for Elsa. She was rendered speechless with shock. The one question she had to ask was, "Why?" Olaf softly replied, "She said she was feeling insecure." Elsa remembered that joy had not been the only emotion she had been feeling when Olga came to life. Could her doubts about herself and her powers have transferred to Olga and remanifested somehow?

Olaf hurriedly asked, "So, what are we gonna do about Hans?", pulling Elsa back into the present. She told him, "First, we need to meet up with Kristoff and Anna. And I think I know just how to get past any flames Hans might throw at us."

* * *

Kristoff was, for the first time in his life, terrified. And there had been many events during his life that would make anyone else scream. The avalanche his parents had died in when he was five - he'd been too young to feel terror. The wolf attacks - he'd kept his cool during those; no biggie. Almost falling into the gorge after being chased by the wolves with Anna - that was just surprise. Just before riding into the storm to find Anna - concern. What Kristoff was feeling now was pure terror.

Hans stepped closer to Kristoff and Anna. "I would have thought I'd provided sufficient defense," he said as the flickering flames reflected in his eyes. It was as if they were providing a window to his soul - full to the brim with anger and hatred. "I guess love does open doors after all, as the princess here knows well."

At these words, Anna's eyes flew open wide. Kristoff knew, from what she had told him, that Hans had used the imagery of an open door to win Anna over. Now he was bringing it back in order to rip open old wounds and further her torture. Kristoff could not let that happen. The beginnings of a plan to get himself and Anna out of there began to formulate in his mind as Hans moved closer and closer.

Hans spoke again. "I can't have you messing up my plans, reindeer herder. You'll have to be disposed of..." With an evil glint in his eye, a fireball began to form in the prince's hands. Kristoff knew he had to act fast. He knew that working magic indoors put him at a slight disadvantage, as natural magic worked best - well - in nature, but he had no other options. Concentrating on the limited earth energy that was in the castle, he created a vine that wrapped itself around Hans's foot just as the fireball was almost big enough to throw. Unable to step forward, Hans lost his footing and fell flat on his back. The fireball hit the roof, adding more heat to the room. While Hans was down, Kristoff finished freeing Anna, who asked, "What do we do now?"

Kristoff stated the best answer he could think of: "Run."

* * *

Elsa tried to concentrate on finding Kristoff and Anna while keeping her ice dome up. It had seemed like a good idea at the time - fire couldn't breach the security of the dome, and Elsa could make it roomier if necessary. Trouble was, it was difficult to run and keep up the dome. At least Olaf was making them stop every once in a while so he could catch his breath.

Suddenly, in rushed Kristoff and Anna, flushed and scared. Elsa made a small opening in the dome so they both could scramble in, quickly closed it, and asked, "What happened? You both look so tired."

Anna replied, "Let's just say Hans happened." As if cued in a play, in ran Hans himself, wildly searching around with a fireball in each hand, followed by a slightly worried Olga. Elsa caught a quick glimpse of his eyes and saw an almost animal-like savageness, heightened by the reflections of the flames he carried. When the prince caught sight of the dome, he raced towards it at full speed, launching his fireballs. They exploded harmlessly against the strong ice. Hans was clearly furious.

"You tricked me!" shouted the prince. "This is your fault! This whole mess is your fault!" Elsa tried to keep her cool as Hans monologued about how he'd been wronged his whole life and the queen and princess had made it worse for him. She did notice that Anna had a sly look on her face, as if she knew something none of the rest did. Finally, she interrupted Hans mid-sentence, "None of what you've said is true at all! And I happen to know that... because I have THESE!", whipping out a pair of leather-bound books, each with an autumn leaf on the cover.

Hans was clearly unpleasantly surprised. Anna continued, "Yes, the childhood journals of you and your brother Eric. One of the trolls gave them to me when we stopped near the Valley of the Living Rocks. You wouldn't mind if I read a few entries, would you?"

Hans growled, "Yes, I would mind," but Anna didn't listen. She opened one of the books, loudly cleared her throat, and began to read. "Dear Journal..."

**Next chapter: The secrets of Hans's youth revealed!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Tale of Two Brothers

**A. N. This chapter will be in the form of entries from the boyhood journals of Hans and his older brother Eric (which, I'm sure you remember, Anna starts reading aloud from in the previous chapter). Hans's entries will be presented in** normal text**, and Eric's in **_italics_**. . Hans's age is ten, Eric is eight years older.**** Enjoy!**

July 17

Dear Journal, Today is my birthday. I thought it would be different from normal, but it wasn't. My brothers still teased me and pretended I was invisible. Someone broke Mama's vase, I think it was Tomas, but they all said it was my fault since I'm the thirteenth brother and thirteen is unlucky. Papa did give me this journal and said it could become my closest friend. And I found a wooden sword and shield on my bed. So today was good in some ways, I guess.

_July 17_

_Okay, if I don't get this into words, I am going to explode. I gave Hans a birthday present. A little sword and shield designed for him, and I even carved his name on it. Lief reminded me that we aren't supposed to get close to Hans because of his powers, but I say the little guy could use some kindness. All anybody does is tease him and give him a hard time about his birth order. Not me, of course; I try to stay out of the teasing, but everyone else seems to love it. I even found a badly drawn picture of a black cat with a tag labeled _Hans_ on it on the front page of the journal Father gave him, just like he gave everyone else. I tore it out. I believe Harold is the artist; I'll give him a hard time about it later._

August 26

Dear Journal, Today Peter started teasing me again. His new nickname for me is Black Cat since I'm "so unlucky". I tried to ignore him but he wouldn't stop and I just kept getting madder and madder and then I called him a fish-face and he was quiet. I was surprised. A lot.

_August 26_

_I bumped into Peter just after lunch today. He'd been teasing Hans again, but before I could call him out for it, he said Hans had teased him back. Fish-face, I think he said, was the insult used. Now_ that's _a surprise. Hans has never reacted like this to teasing. He's usually pretty quiet. Let's just hope it's a phase and he'll get over it soon._

August 27

Dear Journal, I thought about what happened yesterday with Peter. When I started teasing him, he stopped teasing me. I thought maybe if I tease enough, I can stop being teased at all. I tried it on Stefan by saying he was a dimwit, and I also called Ernest noodlebrain and I think it's gonna work.

_August 27_

_Remember what I wrote yesterday about Hans's teasing thing being just a phase? It clearly isn't. He's still at it. Stefan was called a "dimwit" and Ernest was dubbed "noodlebrain". However, when Mother and Father are around, he's an angel. This is not going to end well, I can tell._

September 3

Dear Journal, I found Eric daydreaming out the window when we all were supposed to be working in our schoolbooks. He's always there, looking at the ocean. I told him he had to get back to the book then left. I feel good about getting Eric to behave.

_September 3_

_Today I found myself staring out the window at the sea again. I can't help it. I've always been fascinated with the thought of what lies beyond the water - and under it. Local legend has it that there are people with fish tails instead of legs who live in an undersea kingdom. I wish I was one sometimes. So anyway, Hans walked by and said - I quote - "Stop daydreaming, lazy!". I couldn't believe it. He's never been this mean to me. Why is he doing this?_

October 7

Dear Journal: I've been thinking. I know I'm never gonna be king of the Southern Isles, since I'm thirteenth in line right now. And my older brothers will probably get married and have kids and _they'll_ be before me in line. But if I find someone I could get married to who's the heir to their throne, I could get in right away! I know I'm only ten, but it's just a thought.

_October 14_

_In addition to his mean behavior towards us, Hans has also been reading up on other countries. He tells Mother and Father that it's so he can become a better diplomat when he gets older, but he won't tell his brothers (myself included) a thing about it. However, he left his journal wide open to an entry from last week that I couldn't help taking a peek at, and it turns out he's got more up his sleeve than I originally thought. He wants to be in charge _some_how, so he intends to marry an heir to some foreign throne. I'm at a loss for words. Hans seems to have undergone a transformation from nice kid to schemer. Who knows what he'll do next?_

**Next chapter: The moment you've all been waiting for! Elsa and Hans duke it out in a power battle of climatic proportions!**


	12. Chapter 12: Blizzard vs Inferno

Anna slammed Eric's journal shut and looked right at Hans. "You were so focused on getting back at your brothers, it became normal for you to tease them," she said. "Your anger has twisted your mind, made it so that you're always the hero. You've done some awful things in your life, Hans. You are _not_ the hero."

Hans snarled; the fire in his eyes burned stronger than ever. He raised his hands and told the group, "You had your chance. You all will die!" The room burst into flames, and Elsa's ice dome began to melt. She quickly reinforced it, then whispered, "We're going to have to make a run for it. I'll keep this dome up as best I can, but we're going to have to move fast." Nobody responded vocally, but they didn't need to. The obvious response was a little _too_ obvious.

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf raced back through the castle. Anna, after years of exploring the castle on her own, knew all sorts of secret passages and shortcuts. However, everywhere they turned, Hans seemed to be just a step ahead, wielding his fireballs. Eventually, Elsa got the ice dome out to the courtyard. Just as the group took the chance to catch their breath, Hans appeared. By this time, the entire castle had caught on fire. "Well, now," Hans asked the group, "who's going to meet their fate first? The idiotic snowman? The goody-good reindeer man? The worthless, spare princess? Or the frozen-hearted Snow Queen?"

Elsa knew that these words were meant to bite at them, and she couldn't allow him to insult her family like that. She was especially hurt by being called _frozen-hearted_. She opened the ice dome and stepped out towards Hans. "Your words are untrue, Hans," she declared. "About all of us. Olaf may make mistakes sometimes, but he learns from them. Kristoff is definitely loyal and selfless, but that isn't a fault. Anna is one of the most worthfull people I know. And I may have been frozen-hearted once, but not anymore. Those who love me have assisted me in thawing it. You have the frozen heart.

Do you remember when we fought first?" Elsa continued. "As I was leaving, you told me that it wasn't over yet. I'd like to settle this once and for all." Hans grinned and responded, "Very well. You and I both know well that only one of us is going to come out of this alive. Fire and ice cannot coexist. Do your worst."

Elsa focused all her energy and summoned a blizzard. With a flick of her hand, the swirling snow clouds sped towards Hans's inferno, encasing it and putting it out. At Hans's urging, the fire gained even more energy and started to melt the clouds. "This isn't going to get us anywhere," said Hans. "I think I'll raise the stakes..." He spread the fingers of his right hand apart. Tongues of fire swirled from his palm and began to take on a form in front of him. Elsa watched, almost in horror, wondering what on earth he could be doing.

* * *

Safe underneath the ice dome, Anna watched as Hans and her sister forced their storms onto the other's. She asked Kristoff, "Who do you think is going to win?"

"I don't know," Kristoff replied. "They're pretty evenly matched. I'm just glad we're safe in here."

Olaf's eye's opened wide. "Wait a minute - Olga's still in there! She's not going to be able to survive this intense heat. I need to go get her!" The snowman raced towards a gap in the ice dome, which Elsa had forgotten to close, when Anna grabbed his arm. "I don't know if that's the best idea, Olaf," she said. "Olga joined Hans, remember? Maybe she won't want to go with you."

"You don't know her like I do," Olaf replied. "She'll come - I know it." With that, he raced out of the safety of the dome and towards the castle. Anna cried, "Olaf!", but he continued into the flames.

* * *

Before Elsa's eyes, the fire took the form of a dragon. It was bright red, with eyes that reflected the hatred and savageness of its maker. Elsa knew just how to counter this, though. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled so loudly that Hans had to cover his ears. Marshmallow lumbered in from the bridge. The dragon hissed at the sight of the snow golem. In the blink of an eye, the two creations were wrestling around the courtyard. They seemed to be equally matched, though. Once again, neither Elsa's nor Hans's magic could overcome the other's.

Hans blasted a stream of fire at Elsa. She managed to duck, but the fire began to surround her. Elsa could hardly see her adversary through the growing flames, but she heard him laughing wildly and evilly. "You are weak, afraid to use your powers to the full extent, frozen-hearted monster!" he shouted. As the flames grew higher, Elsa spun the words around in her head. Finally, she stepped through the fire and looked Hans in the eye, preparing her next weapon as she said to him, "I know I may not choose to use my abilities as strongly as you, but I _can_ use them. You say I am a monster, Hans. I've heard that so many times in my life. But now, I realize that there is a remedy to evilness - love. I have many friends, family, who care for me. I care for them just as much. The love in my heart has driven out any evil nature. You are a different story.

Anger is like alcohol. It feels good while you take it in, but it quickly becomes intoxicating, and will poison you in the end. You have been poisoned by anger, Hans. It only intensifies your sense of evilness. You have become a monster." Then, while Hans stood stunned, Elsa struck him with the extra-hard icy blast she had been preparing. It didn't hit him in the heart, but it pushed him back into his own fire. Now, all Elsa could do was wait.

* * *

Olaf hurried through the castle, searching desperately for his girlfriend. The smoke and flames made it difficult to see, but Olaf kept going. Olga had to be in the castle somewhere. And he'd find her, or melt trying.

At last, Olaf found Olga sitting alone on a bench in the hall. He rushed over to her. "Olga! Thank goodness I found you. There's an ice dome outside. You'll be safe there. Come on!"

Olaf grabbed Olga's arm, but it came off. It was then that Olaf realized that the female snowperson was slowly melting. Olaf's eyes widened. "What happened?" he slowly whispered.

Olga gulped. "After I saw you in the cell, I told Hans you had melted. He realized I had lied after he saw you in the ice dome. He got so mad, he stripped away that heat-resistant magic and left me here to melt."

"Okay, now we need to get you to the dome more than ever. Elsa can fix you, but we have to hurry!" Olaf cried.

Olga sighed and said, "No, Olaf. I... I deserve to die. I've been awful. No... you go back without me."

Olaf began to cry. "But I love you. You're the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever. I mean that. You can't stay here!"

By this time, Olaf had to get down on his knees to look Olga eye to eye. She said, "I'm not going back. I won't add anything to your life. But... I love you, too."

The snowpeople shared a heartfelt kiss before Olga melted completely. Olaf sighed, but took the carrot that had once been her nose. At least he would have something to remember her by.

* * *

The Fire Prince tried with all his might to find a way out of the trap he himself had created, but no matter what he did, the flames seemed to grow higher with every move he made. He could feel the Snow Queen's icy magic dying away slowly, but for all he knew, it would be a matter of time before the ice in his veins reached his heart. He couldn't let that happen. He had to live, had to gain his full revenge. But the fire prevented him from finding a way back to her.

He continued to race through the castle. Eventually, he reached the highest tower in the building. The fire blocked the stairwell down, and that was the only exit. The Fire Prince was trapped.

The fire grew more intense by the minute, pushing the prince closer and closer to the windowsill. At last, the flames reached him, and he backed up onto the sill. Then, he fell. The last thought that crossed the Fire Prince's mind before he plunged into the cold water of the fjord was, _I _will_ have __vengeance!_

* * *

Elsa watched as the ripples made by Hans died away, and, with them, the flames that had engulfed the castle. The dragon Hans had made disappeared, too. Suddenly, Elsa felt a hand on her shoulder - Anna's. "You think he's dead?" asked the princess.

"Probably," replied Elsa. "Water will always put out fire. I guess this explains why he didn't put up much of a fight when he got arrested three months ago. I'm just glad to see you're okay."

Anna giggled, "Yep, your ice dome worked like a charm. I didn't even feel hot. Kristoff's feeling great, too, but Olaf left for the castle. He said he wanted to go get Olga."

"I was thinking maybe we'd better go find the little guy," said Kristoff from behind the sisters. "Who knows what could have happened to him?"

* * *

Anna scanned the charred castle for her favorite snowman. Nothing looked familiar now. Everything was black, instead of the soft grays and deep colors Anna had grown up with. At last, Anna caught a glimpse of white among the black.

"Hey guys! I found Olaf!" she shouted, not really sure that she'd been heard. It wa a big castle. As she approached Olaf, Anna noticed that he was holding something and looking at it. A closer look revealed that it was a carrot. Some charred rocks and ashy sticks told the rest of the story for Anna. She put a hand on Olaf's shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry about Olga."

As the rest of the group approached, Olaf replied, "She chose to die. She'd lost the will to live. I... Olga... I'll always remember her."

"You know," said Elsa, "It's kind of my fault Olga melted. If I hadn't been feeling so insecure, she would have lived."

"Are you still feeling unsure about yourself?" asked Anna. The comment was followed by a loud cheering. Elsa looked out the window and saw almost the entire population of Arendelle shouting and applauding - for her.

Elsa turned to Anna and, smiling, asked, "Does that answer your question?"

**Next chapter: Your classic fairy-tale "happily ever after"!**


	13. Chapter 13: All Is Well

**AN: If you want an awesome new perspective on this story (especially the battle scene), check out NinthOrbitz's fic "Frozen Popular Song Parodies". Chapter 25 is a mini-songfic based on both Within Temptation's Fire and Ice and the battle. I strongly recommend it.**

_One week later_

"Hi! I'm Lina and I like warm hugs!"

Olaf didn't say anything, but grinned as wide as he could and embraced the new snowgirl, who laughed, "I see you're a hugger, too!" and returned the gesture. Elsa smiled shyly. Olaf had been in a melancholy mood ever since the defeat of Hans the Fire Prince, and Elsa and Anna missed the old Olaf. However, they had been so busy with repairing the damaged castle that they hadn't been able to spend time with him. Now Elsa had surprised him by creating a new snowgirl, and, without worries in her heart, she felt that Lina would be with Olaf for longer than Olga had.

"Ah, Lina?" asked Olaf nervously. "I want you to have this." He held out Olga's carrot. "This belonged to one of the best people I ever knew. I think it would look good on you," he said, the smallest of grins appearing on his face. Lina smiled back and fixed the carrot onto her face. It fit perfectly.

Olaf suddenly said, "Come on, I'll show you around the courtyard!" Lina took his arm, and the two raced off into the stalls. The scene reminded Elsa of Olaf and Olga only one short week ago, but she knew somehow that things would turn out all right in the end. Just like with herself and Anna.

As she sat down on the bridge and watched people go into and out of the courtyard, Elsa let her mind wander. _Thirteen years ago, I was just as insecure as Olga was, _she thought. _If Hans had told me I was a monster then, I would have believed it. I was so scared of hurting Anna - the one person who believed in me, even when she was unaware of my powers - that I really did have no control._

_But that's changed. I've come so far. I was able to defeat Hans, fire magic and all. I can truly call myself the Snow Queen._

"Y'know, I never thought you could be evil," came Anna's voice from next to Elsa. "Even though I didn't remember your ice magic, I remembered the best sister ever. And that hasn't changed one tiny bit."

Elsa giggled, "Anna, it's like you read my mind." Anna's response was, "Well, why not? We are sisters, after all."

As the two sisters shared a laugh, Kristoff came up and said a tad nervously, "Hey, ah, can I talk to Anna for a minute? Alone?"

Elsa told him, "Whatever you can say to her, you can say to both of us." Anna smirked, but Kristoff didn't really understand the inside joke. He said, "Well, actually, it might be better if you both were with me."

He took a tiny box out of his pocket, opened it to reveal a golden ring with the symbol of Arendelle bejeweled into the top, dropped to one knee, and asked, "Anna... will you marry me?"

Anna squealed, "Omigosh, YES! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask that question?!"

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for me to ask that question?" responded Kristoff with a laugh.

As Elsa watched Anna slip the ring onto her finger, she smiled. This was a true "Happily ever after".

* * *

"So, these are my favorite flowers," explained Olaf to Lina as they approached the stand where they where sold. The two had been exploring the courtyard for about a half hour, and they were already starting to bond. He had already shown her the clock tower, taken her for a dip in the fountain (that had not ended well - there had been a broom and a rabid cat involved), and let her see the dock. This, he felt, was the capstone of his tour.

Lina squealed, "Oh, they're beautiful!" She stuck her nose deep into the bright purple orchids and took a deep sniff. "Ah-CHOO!" Olaf managed to catch the carrot before it flew out of sight.

Both snowpeople laughed as Lina fixed the carrot back onto her nose. They found themselves leaning close to the other, but the carrots kept their heads apart. Olaf grinned widely and tilted his head, and the two kissed. Maybe the first of many - who could tell?

* * *

Arendelle would never be known as "normal" again. Indeed, many more unusual events were yet to grace the small kingdom. For the present, however, the world was perfect for five (two of whom were made of snow, but still). Nothing anyone said or did would change that one bit.

The end.


End file.
